Xi’an

After having spent almost a week in bustling Beijing, Isi was looking forward to finally visiting a smaller city. Small meaning 13 million inhabitants.

What to See

The Terracotta Army

You know, it is one of those places that you only see in history books – I remember when I first saw a picture as a child and thought with awe: oh wow, that’s so incredible – and also, I will probably never have the chance to see them in real life… And yet we made it to China, and then to Xi’an, and then even managed to find the correct bus that took us to the site!

The army of more than 8.000 solders was discovered in 1974 by farmers just outside Xi’an. The life-sized figurines are accompanied by horses, chariots and even workers in the imperial courtyard. The ensemble was supposed to protect the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. Each figure has unique facial features and was originally painted in lively colours which, unfortunately, deteriorated over the years, just like the auxiliary wooden structures and tools that lay in the pit.

The almost never-ending lines of terracotta soldiers are a magnificent sight to behold! Even more so if you think about how much hard work went into sculpting the unique, almost statue-like figures, then painting them before they were finally positioned in precise formations based on rank and function. Yes, that’s right, the army depicts an actual army in all respects.

There are three pits with figures laid out in their original positions, plus two exhibition halls. You will need around 2-3 hours to explore everything. The place is very crowded, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region, if not in the whole country. Therefore, the earlier you get there, the better, I would say. There are not many explanatory signs in the pits, only in the museum, so we would recommend getting an audio guide or at least reading about what you are going to see beforehand. We bought our tickets in advance on Klook here.

We found an affordable transportation option online and waited a couple of minutes at a random bus stop in the city centre. It felt like a bit of a gamble but, to our surprise, the bus actually turned up – we were supposed to buy tickets in a WeChat app upfront (which we didn’t), but the kind staff took us anyway and let us book a “compensatory” ticket for the next bus. We were the only non-Chinese tourists on the bus and it was a bit of a shame that we didn’t understand anything from the Chinese explanation given. If you prefer a guide (whom you can actually understand), or at least an introduction to the site, you might be better off booking a guided tour tailored for English-speaking tourists, for example this one on Klook.

If you are interested in the different options to get to the site of the Terracotta Army, check out this article from TravelChinaGuide.

Xi’an City Wall

Most ancient Chinese cities had a similar wall around the historic core but, due to the cities’ expansion, those got torn down to make space for new infrastructure. The then-governor of Xi’an, however, realised the historic importance of the city wall and, instead of replacing it with wide roads and concrete blocks of apartments, the city restored the deteriorated sections. The preservation programme turned the relict into one of the Xi’an’s most visited tourist attractions, now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The wall itself is quite different from what we know from Europe – not a strip of bricks, but more of a 15-metre-wide, almost road-like elevated structure with watchtowers dotted along the wall.

Given its size, we only managed to walk a small section of the wall, but would probably rent a bike next time and do the whole round. You can start the ride at multiple locations on top of the wall.

We got a good view not only of the wall and its structures but of the city from the elevated viewpoint as well. The transition from daytime to the evening lights is beautiful! You might also spot some locals doing their daily exercise at the foot of the fortification in the early evening hours!

As always, you can book your ticket via WeChat or pay at one of the entrances.

Other Popular Things to Do

I have to admit, we were a bit lazy this time and enjoyed simply walking around rather than ticking off the touristy list. Nevertheless, Xi’an has so much to offer; you can easily spend 1 or even 2 weeks without getting bored.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: a large Buddhist pagoda built in 652 AD. If you observe carefully, you can even see how tilted the building is – due to earthquakes and rainwater infiltration, the top is about 1 meter off to the northwest. You can enter the pagoda itself; all the 7 floors showcase various historically significant Buddhist relics. Tickets for the pagoda and the adjacent Da Ci’en temple cost 35CYN (€4,35/$5,15) and can be purchased on-site.

Bell Tower: built in 1384 during the Ming dynasty, the tower stands tall at the busiest junction of Xi’an. It was used to report time during pre-modern times, and has became a major symbol of the city. You can either marvel at the architecture from across the roundabout or even enter the building for 30CYN (€3,75/$4,40).

Drum Tower: a “sibling” of the Bell Tower named after the drum located inside the building. The drum used to signal the evening; it’s significance in timekeeping is similar to the bells of the Bell Tower. Inside, you can view the exhibit of different Chinese drums and antique furniture. The entry ticket costs 30CYN (€3,75/$4,40). There is also a combination ticket available for both towers with savings of 10CYN.

Day trip to Huashan Mountain: this hike is not for the faint-hearted. Named the most dangerous hike in the world, the mountain path takes you along the edges of the cliff on narrow stairs and wooden planks. If this is not your idea of an excursion, you can also take the cable car and be rewarded with breathtaking views from the peak. Several religious sites and temples are hidden in the mountain, many of which can now be visited as tourism started to boom in the 90’s. For detailed planning, make sure to check out the excellent article on China Discovery.

Great Mosque of Xi’an: Xi’an is home to a vibrant Muslim community as well as to the largest and best-preserved pre-modern-era mosque in the country. The first buildings were erected in 742 AD and were expanded subsequently during the Ming Dynasty. The complex is located in the eastern part of the Muslim Quarter and features numerous historically significant religious buildings in a unique chinese-muslim architectural style. Muslims can enter for free, other visitors can buy a ticket on-site for 25CYN (€3,10/$3,65).

Shaanxi History Museum: The museum is located near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and showcases more than 370.000 historical relics from the Paleolithic to the Quing Dynasty. Unfortunately, currently it is only possible to buy a ticket with a guided tour via Trip.com for non-Chinese visitors.

Food & Restaurants

Xi’an is a true foodie heaven with many dishes from the Shaanxi cuisine. To find the most popular spots, wander around the Muslim Quarter around this area: Amap | Google Maps

Some of the highlights of the local cuisine are Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍; soft bun filled with pork, beef or lamb), Biang Biang noodles (spicy thick noodles), Suantang Jiaozi (酸汤饺子; dumplings in hot & sour soup), Yang Rou Pao Mo (羊肉泡馍; flatbread in lamb soup), lamb skewers and green spinach noodles.

On a side note: it was sometimes difficult to find restaurants because they usually only have the Chinese characters above the entrance and the Latin spelling in Amap. That’s why we were unable to find some of the restaurants we wanted to go to, unfortunately. We also found a couple of promising ones in different articles and on Reddit, but some of them seemed to have gone out of business.

• Biang Biang noodles 1: Liuxiang Noodles: one of the more famous shops where you can watch the chefs hand-pull and beat the noodles behind the counter. Location: Amap | Google Maps
• Biang Biang noodles 2: Amazing noodles at a small restaurant in a residential area, hidden away from the tourist crowds. The location is in this building: Amap
• Canton Palace: Cantonese cuisine in Xi’an with multiple branches. In case you are not venturing further south in China, you might still want to try some of the other regional cuisines. We found this place on Amap, and while not the best Cantonese food we had, it is definitely nice to see the authentic setting with huge round tables and fresh seafood presented in an elegant way. They serve some curious dishes like braised turtle, and some of your meals might even greet you downstairs at the entrance. Location: Amap
• 十二炉江湖莱 (Twelve Furnaces of Jianghu Lai): a totally random find on the west side of the old town area. We were super hungry but nothing seemed to be open along the wall except this tiny mom-and-pop restaurant. They were a bit grumpy first but then quite bemused as we tried to translate their hand-written 米饭 with Google Translate. It means rice, btw. We ordered a small seaweed & egg drop soup (which turned out to be a huge bowl) and the double-fried pork belly, both were very delicious! Location: Amap
• Holiland: delicious Western-style pastries, multiple branches across the city. We went to this one, right across the Biang Biang restaurant: Amap

Where to stay & How to get around

We stayed just outside the western part of the wall at the Holiday Inn Express Ancient Town West ($), which we booked on Trip.com. It is a decent hotel with a complimentary Chinese-style breakfast. Nothing special, but still not too far from the centre. There are multiple bus stops nearby, which is a convenient way to get around in the city. There is also an extensive metro network of 17 lines, but you won’t necessarily need it, unless you want to explore the non-touristy surrounding residential neighbourhoods. DiDi, just like in most cities, is also available as a preferred taxi app.

If your budget allows, stay somewhere inside the city wall, preferably around the Muslim Quarter. This allows you to reach many sights on foot.

Here are some more great hotel options we also considered:

• Desti Youth Park Hostel (Xi’an Bell Tower) ($)
• Holiday Inn Express XI’AN ANCIENT TOWN WEST ($$)
• Mercure Xi’an Downtown ($$)
• For a more high-end option, Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xian ($$$) offers a memorable stay.

Find out how to prepare for your China trip, including connecting to the internet, essential apps to download, booking transportation, hotels and restaurants in our comprehensive China travel guide.

Xi’an is also part of our recommended two-week itinerary in China for first-timers, make sure to take a look to find out what other gems we recommend visiting!